


The Burdens of Dying

by berusama



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-08
Updated: 2009-03-08
Packaged: 2020-03-07 17:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18877405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berusama/pseuds/berusama
Summary: Okay, so you know that scene inLe Morte d'Arthurwhere Gaius and Merlin give Arthur the magic, life-saving water? Right, well I can't watch that scene without thinking about Colin cradling Bradley during filming and all the giggling I hope happened.Also, I clearly know nothing about the process of filming a TV show, so please suspend your disbelief for the next thousand words.





	The Burdens of Dying

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so you know that scene in _Le Morte d'Arthur_ where Gaius and Merlin give Arthur the magic, life-saving water? Right, well I can't watch that scene without thinking about Colin cradling Bradley during filming and all the giggling I hope happened.
> 
> Also, I clearly know nothing about the process of filming a TV show, so please suspend your disbelief for the next thousand words.

It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, and as such, it really couldn’t be helped.

They had flown through shooting, the promise of beautiful weather over the weekend bolstering everyone’s performance, until the bedroom scene wherein no one had been able to keep a straight face, least of all Bradley who was supposed to be on his deathbed. But Dave had let them move on, saying they’d come back to it later when people were less excited (cue pointed look at Bradley and a laugh from Colin who hadn’t been all too serious himself, thank you very much).

Bradley hadn’t realized, however, that ‘later’ had actually meant ‘later _today_.’

He walked from make-up back to Arthur’s bedroom slowly, trying not to fuss with the bloody bandage strapped across his chest. The room was crowded again when he arrived, and Colin was already seated at the head of the bed, laughing with Richard and Anthony. Bradley smiled just at the sight – Anthony enthusiastically retelling a story with Colin’s accompanying hand motions and Richard grinning madly at the two of them – and didn’t see how trying this again today was going to work any better than it had just hours ago.

“Alright, positions everyone! Bradley, let’s try it without the sound effects this time.”

Anthony gripped his shoulder briefly on his way to the back of the room, behind the cameras, and Bradley was about to retort with something undoubtedly witty when Colin caught his eye.

“Come on, then, Braders!” Colin cooed, patting his lap. Bradley stared at him for all of two seconds before the laugh burst out of him, loud and incredulous.

“Don’t _ever_ call me that,” Bradley demanded moving to the side of the bed. He sat, and then covered his legs with the blankets before glancing back at Colin who patted his lap again with a grin. Bradley rolled his eyes for effect and carefully lay down on top of Colin’s legs.

“Christ, you’re boney,” Bradley griped, shifting around to find a position where Colin’s knee wasn’t about to puncture a lung.

“Not yet,” came Colin’s reply from above him, low and filthy, “but keep squirming around like that and we’ll see.”

Bradley laughed, because it _was_ funny, but he could feel his face heat a little. Yeah, this was going to go just great.

The lighting had to be adjusted then, taking into account the natural glare from the windows, so Bradley relaxed and tried not to think about it too much… But really, so what if he was lying in Colin’s lap? They were mates, the bed was comfortable and Colin’s hand was warm on his shoulder.

“Does this itch?” Colin asked, fingering the bandage.

“Only when other people play with it,” Bradley answered. Colin was leaning against one of the bed posts so Bradley had to angle his head back and to the right to see Colin’s smirk.

“It looks real. Smells real too.”

“That’s because it is.” Bradley closed his eyes and settled back against Colin’s thigh.

“An old battle wound, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“From when Santiago was here?”

“Yeah.”

“Because you told him you wanted to see other men?”

Bradley congratulated himself for not reacting. “Yeah.”

“And he said he’d rather see you dead than with anyone else?”

“Yeah. Blamed you, actually. Said your _coquettish_ ways were wearing off on me.”

Colin laughed. “Well. See if I ever go down on him again.”

Bradley’s eyes did snap open then, and he turned his head to stare up at Colin who wore a wicked but completely unreadable look.

“Shut up,” Bradley said eventually, closing his eyes again. “I’m trying to die here.”

“Of course.” Bradley could hear the amusement in Colin’s voice and smiled a little himself. “Terribly sorry.”

“You’re forgiven.”

Colin was still fiddling with the bandage and it made Bradley want to shiver, even though that might give Colin the wrong idea about… stuff. He wasn’t quite sure because he could feel himself drifting off but surely that wouldn’t matter much for the scene since he was supposed to be near death anyway.

He didn’t move when Richard came up to the bed or when ‘action’ was called or even when Colin cupped the back of his head to get him into position, running his fingers through Bradley’s hair in the process.

He was doing very well, in fact, even managing the water that was tipped into his mouth without choking like last time – and hadn’t Colin just _loved_ that.

And then Richard forgot his line.

“What are you doing, physician? What are you giving him?” Anthony demanded from the back of the room.

“It’s uh… it’s not what it looks like!”

Colin snorted and dropped his head down by Bradley’s and the whole room exploded in unwilling laughter. Bradley, ecstatic that he was not the one to mess up first, was laughing so hard he accidentally tipped his face into the side of Colin’s. Colin didn’t move though, just continued to laugh into the arm that was still supporting Bradley’s head.

“How dare you defile the Crown Prince,” Colin cackled eventually, voice still muffled by his arm and Bradley groaned in protest, reaching for the extra pillow and hitting Colin over the head with it.

“Really, Merlin,” Richard tutted, not to be outdone, “I know he only has eyes for you.”

“Oi!” they both yelled, Colin’s head shooting up and jostling Bradley’s, and the room subsided into another bout of laughter.

Bradley sighed, though he didn’t really mind as long as they were laughing at both him _and_ Colin. He tipped his head back, pressing down on Colin’s hand and smiled conspiratorially. Colin flexed his fingers and grinned back. They’d get them for this. Humiliating and grammatically gratifying pranks for everyone.

But for now they settled back into the bed as Richard looked over the script, Colin’s fingers massaging gently at the top of Bradley’s neck, and waited for the weekend.


End file.
